Method of generating and timing ignition-currents.



B. P. & F. I. REMY.

METHOD OF GENERATING AND TIMING IGNITION CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. mm.

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METHOD OF GENERATING AND TIMING IGNITION CURRENTS.

Patented May 22, 1917.

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Snow 1X01, BENJAMIN P REMY, 3% and RANK LREMY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN P. REMY AND FRANK I. REMY, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO SPLITIDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF GENERATING AND TIMING IGNITION-CURRENTS.

Original application filed. February 17, 1910, Serial No. 544,402. Divided and this application filed December Specification of Letters Patent.

30, 1913. Serial No. 809,574.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN P. REMY and FRANK I. REMY, citizens of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Generating and Timing Ignition-Currents, of which the following is a specification, reference be ng had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in the method of producing ignition current and more particularly to the method of producing ignition current which is constant in tension and volume through all angles of advanced and retarded spark.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of producing ignition current of the above character, wherein the flux from a fixed magnetic field is intermittently completed and reversed through a flux receiv ing circuit having a normally stationary ignition current generating coil and wherein the occurrence of the peak E. M. F. in the current generating coil is advanced or retarded to correspond with the advance or retard of the spark for ignition.

In carrying out the invention, we prefer to utilize a fixed magneto field and a normally stationary ignition current generating coil. The path of the flux from this fixed magnetic field is completed through this stationary current generating coil and is reversed, thus causing a peak E. M. F. in the current generating coil. Through the breaking of the circuit in the generating coil a spark for ignition is produced and the time of the spark depends upon the time of breaking of the circuit. The spark is advanced or retarded by breaking the circuit at a later or at an earlier period. The present method is directed particularly to the advancing or retarding of the occurrence of the peak E. M. F. in the current generating coil to correspond with the advance or retard of the spark for ignition, so that the spark for ignition will be obtained when the E. M. F. in the current generating coil is at a maximum. This application is a division of our prior application filed February 17th, 1910, Serial No. 544,402 and it is believed that our improved method of producing ignition current will be best understood by a detailed description of the apparatus disclosed in said application of which the present application is a division, and which illustrates one way of carrying out our improved method.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of one end of the generator.with portions of the circuit breaker shown in vertical transverse section,.altered positions of parts of the device being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through Fig. 1 onthe dotted line 22 of Fig. 3Q tudinal section through the device. Fig. 4; is a diagram of the circuits by which the ignition of an internal'combustion engine may be produced by this generator, but the particular arrangement of circuits used is however not essential to the invention. Fig. 5 isa section through a part of the device showing the parts in one position. Fig. 6 is the same showing the inductor operated slightly farther than in Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is the same showing the parts in a different position from Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is the same as Fig. 7 with the inductor moved slightly farther than in Fig. 7.

In the drawings herein there is shown a base 10 for the generator which is made preferably of nonmagnetic material, and there are no upwardly extending sides, as the inner set of magnets 11 rests upon the base. The outer set of magnets 12 does not extend as low as the base, as indicated. in 1 and 2 but these features are immaterial. There are ends 13 extending up from and integral with the base, which together with removable portions 14: above, furnish bearings for outwardly extending tubular bearing portions 15 and 16 of the end plates 17 and 18, respectively, so that said plates can rock. There are field magnet pole pieces 19 secured stationary on the base and adjacent the lower end of the inner set of magnets 11, see Fig. 2.

The inductor shaft 20 extends through and has hearings in the bearing portions 15 and 16, just referred to, see Fig. 3. This shaft carries two supports 21 for the inductors 22. Said supports 21 are made preferably of non-magnetic material, while the inductors are made of magnetic material, and the two sets of inductors and supports are spaced apart, one being located Fig. 3 is a central vertical longi-z adjacent each end plate 17 and 18. The supports 21 are rigidly attached to the inductors 22 and alse the shaft 20, and together constitute the revolving member of the generator.

The armature consists of the core 25 that is secured to the end plates 17 and 18 so-as to rock therewith concentrically with the shaft 20. It carries at each end adjacent said end plates, pole pieces 26, which extend down rather close to the inductors 22, and the adjacent surfaces of the ,pole pieces are curved concavely. and concentrically to conform to the curvature of the inductors, see Fig 2. I

The core 25 and pole pieces 26 are composed of magnetic material. J The pole pieces have substantially the same length longitudinally of the core 25 as the inductors 22. A suitable winding 27 is mounted on the core 25 between the pole pieces and registering witlr the space between the inductors on the inductor shaft.

The complete armature, including the core winding, pole pieces and end plates 17 and 18 is relatively and normally stationary; that is, the armature is not revolved or moved by the revolution of the inductor shaft or any other revolving member. But the armature is not stationary altogether, as it 'is "capafble of being oscillated, rocked or moved as indicated by the full and dotted lines-in Figs. 1 and 2. This oscillatory or rocking movement of the armature is for the 'purpose'of controlling the variation in time ofthe high value or peak.

Integral with the endplate 18 and bearing extension 16 therefrom there is a timer disk 30 which 'carries an insulated terminal 31 adaptedto be touched by the contact lever 32, which lever 'is normally pressed to ward said terminal by a spring 33 lying between said lever and a post 3 1 on the timer disk, see Fig. 1. The lever is actuated by the double cam 35, which is secured to the inductor shaft adjacent the disk 30. Therefore, at each revolution of the inductor shaft said cam actuates the lever 32 and makes and breaks the circuit twice.

Since the switch portion of the circuit breaker, namely, the terminal 31 and lever 32 are mounted in connection with the oscillatory or rocking armature construction, when the armature is rocked 0r shifted, say from the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1 to that shown by dotted lines, the position of the lever 32 relative to the cam will be modified, and thereby the time in which the circuit is made and broken is varied.

In Fig. 4. there is shown a diagram of circuits illustrating the arrangement of parts of the generator and electrical apparatus external thereto by which ignition may be produced. In that diagram 10 is the primary winding of an induction coil and 41 is the secondary winding, the latter having relatively many turns when com-pared with the former, and 42 is the core thereof, 43 represents the spark plug and 44 the condenser. 27 represents the armature winding and from that a wire 45 runs to the primary winding in the induction coil and a wire 46 runs from the primary winding to the terminal 31, and a wire runs from the circuit breaking lever 32 to the winding 27 of the armature. The terminals of the secondary winding 11 are connected to the respective terminals of the spark plug.

The action of the generator is as follows: When an-inductor 22 is in proximity to an armature pole piece 26 and the field magnet pole piece 19, as indicated in 2, it forms between said pole pieces a path for magnetic flux. The inductors 22 are so placed that 1 when one armature pole piece 26 is thus connected with one field magnet pole piece 19, the other armature pole piece 26 is connected to the other field magnet pole piece 19 at the other end of the device. A path for magnetic flux is thus formed starting from the fieldmagnet, through a field magnet pole piece, an inductor, an armature pole piece, the armature core, the other armature pole piece, the other inductor, the i other field magnet pole piece, to the field magnet.

The inductors 22 are so disposed that when the inductor shaft and associated parts revolve through half a revolution, the direction of the flux through the armature core is reversed. 'The reversals of flux in the armature core occasioned by the revolution of the revolving parts serve to induce an electromotive force in the windings '27.

In order to produce ignition, the current from the winding is led through the primary of the induction coil and at a suitable instant interrupted by the separation of the contact lever 82 and the contact 31, occasioned 'by th'e action of the cam. This sudden stopping-bf the-current in the primary of the induction coil induces in the second 'ary thereof an el'ectromotive force sufficiently greatto jump the gap in the spark plug. The condenser serves to diminish the together with the windings located between various adjacent armature pole pieces, in order to produce electromotive forces of various characters in the various windings.

Also it is immaterial whether the field magnet pole pieces 19 are separated from or integral with the magnets, as they act as one means. The same is true of the armature core and armature pole pieces 26. In order to make the mode of operation clearer, reference may be had to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, which show various positions of the inductor 22 and of the armature. As has been stated, as the inductors rotate they produce a variation in the magnetic flux through the armature core 25. At certain portions of the revolution of the inductors this variation of fiux is rapid, resulting in the production of a high electromotive force in the armature winding 27, whereas at other times the variation of flux is slow, or zero, resulting in a low or zero value of the induced electromotive force.

In order to obtain a satisfactory spark it is desirable that the circuit breaker open the circuit at the time when the induced electro motive force possessses a high value.

Referring to Fig. 5, the rear inductor 22, which is uppermost, forms a connection between the rear armature pole piece 26 and the right-hand field magnet pole piece 19. The magnetic flux through the armature core is small, on account of the magnetic circuit being open between the front armature pole piece and the front inductor. By the time that the inductors have turned through a small angle, to the position shown in Fig. 6 the front inductor has closed the magnet circuit between the front armature pole piece and the left-hand field magnet pole piece, thereby closing the magnetic circuit and allowing the flux through the armature core to increase rapidly. This rapid increase in the flux results in a high value of the induced electromotive force. Thus by shifting the armature, the most desirable point for the interruption of the circuit by the contact points is also shifted.

In use, the gearing between the, magneto and the engine is such that the cam interrupts the circuit every time that a charge is to be ignited. If, for example, the engine be of the four cylinder, four cycle type, making two explosions per revolution of the crank-shaft, the magneto should be driven at the same speed as the crankshaft. In order to vary the time of sparking, the disk 30 is turned about the axis of the shaft, thereby changing the position of the inductors at which the circuit is interrupted, but this movement of the disk 30 causes the armature to perform a similar movement, thereby changing the most favorable instant Copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

for the interruption of the circuit to correspond with the change of the instant of interruption. Although the description here given assumes that the front inductor is on the left, and the rear one on the right, it is evident that similar conditions occur when the opposite is the case, one half of a revolution of the shaft later, but with the flux in the opposite direction through the armature core. Thereare therefore two points during the revolution of the inductors at which a good spark may be procured.

From the above description of an apparatus which may be used for carrying out our improved method it will be apparent that the method consists broadly in the creating of a fixed magnetic field completing and reversing the path of the flux due there to through a normally stationary current generating coil, and then varying the occurrence of the peak E. M. F. in this current generating coil to correspond to the advance or retard of the spark for ignition.

Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The method of producing ignition current which is constant in tension and volume through all angles of advance and retard, which consists in creating a constant magneto motive force constituting a fixed magnetic field, intermittently completing and reversing the path of the flux through a flux-receiving circuit having a normally stationary ignition current generating coil, and advancing or retarding the occurrence of the peak E. M. F. in the current generating coil to correspond with the advance or retard of the spark for ignition.

2. The method of producing ignition current which is constant in tension and volume through all angles of advance and retard which consists in creating a constant magneto motive force constituting a fixed magnetic field, intermittently completing and reversing the path of the flux through a fluxreceiving circuit having a normally stationary ignition current generating coil, breaking the circuit of the generating coil for producing an ignition spark, varying the time of the'breaking of said circuit for advancing and retarding said spark and varying the time of occurrence of the peak E. M. F. in the generating coil to correspond to the time of advance or retard of the spark.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses.

IRVING J. REUTER,

H. J. GALVIN.

Washington, D. G. 

